The invention relates to salt compounds of 1,3-dioxolane and 1,3-dioxane polycarboxylates, precursors and processes for making such compounds, and detergent compositions and water treating processes utilizing such compounds. The end product compounds are useful as detergent builders, metal chelants, and thresholding agents.
The compounds sequester, complex or otherwise bind metal ions, especially divalent cations such as Ca.sup.2+ and Mg.sup.2+ which contribute to water hardness and impede high detergency performance. When incorporated in detergent formulations the compounds improve the cleaning ability of the compositions. The principal uses of the compounds therefore are as detergency builders and/or thresholding agents and as water softeners.